US8182107B2 - LED luminaire made with recycled materials - Google Patents

LED luminaire made with recycled materials Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US8182107B2
US8182107B2 US12/583,490 US58349009A US8182107B2 US 8182107 B2 US8182107 B2 US 8182107B2 US 58349009 A US58349009 A US 58349009A US 8182107 B2 US8182107 B2 US 8182107B2
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
beverage container
metal beverage
led
container
metal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related, expires
Application number
US12/583,490
Other versions
US20100046208A1 (en
Inventor
John William Curran
Shawn Patrick Keeney
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
LED Transformations LLC
Original Assignee
LED Transformations LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by LED Transformations LLC filed Critical LED Transformations LLC
Priority to US12/583,490 priority Critical patent/US8182107B2/en
Publication of US20100046208A1 publication Critical patent/US20100046208A1/en
Assigned to LED TRANSFORMATIONS, LLC reassignment LED TRANSFORMATIONS, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CURRAN, JOHN W, KEENEY, SHAWN P
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US8182107B2 publication Critical patent/US8182107B2/en
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Adjusted expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V15/00—Protecting lighting devices from damage
    • F21V15/01—Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S6/00—Lighting devices intended to be free-standing
    • F21S6/002—Table lamps, e.g. for ambient lighting
    • F21S6/003—Table lamps, e.g. for ambient lighting for task lighting, e.g. for reading or desk work, e.g. angle poise lamps
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S8/00—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation
    • F21S8/03—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation of surface-mounted type
    • F21S8/033—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation of surface-mounted type the surface being a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S8/00—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation
    • F21S8/04—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures
    • F21S8/06—Lighting devices intended for fixed installation intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures by suspension
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V19/00—Fastening of light sources or lamp holders
    • F21V19/001—Fastening of light sources or lamp holders the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
    • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
    • F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
    • Y02W30/00—Technologies for solid waste management
    • Y02W30/50—Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies
    • Y02W30/82—Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to a lighting fixture, and more particularly to an LED-based lighting fixture.
  • Luminaires are typically fabricated from new raw metals, typically aluminum, steel or brass. Each new fixture requires additional natural resources to produce the metals, even if, as in the case of aluminum, the metal is recycled. During the course of a year, this results in tons of raw material that must be produced, with the corresponding output of greenhouse gases which is a byproduct of the energy generated to produce the metal stock.
  • the energy requirement for producing new lighting fixtures is a major disadvantage of the present approach. Cost to produce these fixtures is a second disadvantage.
  • the present invention provides a means of producing energy efficient lighting by combining the performance characteristics of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) with the thermal dissipation properties of recycled metal beverage containers.
  • the present invention provides a means of producing energy efficient lighting by combining the performance characteristics of LEDs combined with the thermal dissipation properties of non-recycled metal beverage containers.
  • the LEDs are shown in FIG. 1 mounted to a suitable printed circuit board which, in turn, is mounted to the underside of the beverage container.
  • the printed circuit board must be capable of conducting the heat generated by the LEDs to the beverage container.
  • One common way of achieving this effect is by the use of what are known as Metal Core Printed Circuit Boards or Metal Clad printed Circuit Boards (MCPCBs).
  • FIG. 2 shows the elements, which make up one preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 3 The top and bottom plates between which the bottom of the metal beverage container are flattened is shown in FIG. 3 . Also shown is a hole used in one preferred embodiment to allow the bottom of the metal beverage container to be flattened between the two plates, thus assuring adequate thermal contact between these plates and the beverage container.
  • the top of the metal beverage container is removed and replaced with a cap. This embodiment is shown in FIG. 4 .
  • FIG. 5 shows one configuration of the invention with the unit hung in the form of a pendent light.
  • FIG. 6 shows a second configuration of the invention with six of the units assembled in the form of an area light.
  • FIG. 7 shows a third configuration of the invention with the unit attached to a base in the form of a desk lamp.
  • FIG. 8 shows a fourth configuration of the invention with the unit attached to a plate in the form of a wall sconce.
  • the present invention involves the use of metal beverage containers to produce luminaires suitable for use with LED light sources.
  • One key element recognized by the inventors was the fact that the thermal conductivity of such containers was suitable to provide a mechanism for removal of the heat generated by the LED light sources.
  • Use of containers such as beer, soft drink or juice cans are examples of the types of containers envisioned by this invention, although any metal beverage container with thermal properties similar to aluminum, steel or copper would be within the scope of this invention.
  • the containers should be of such size that their resulting surface area is sufficient to allow proper thermal management of the LEDs used with the containers. Many heat sink manufacturers provide guidance as to calculating the required surface area. 1,2 Both new and recycled (reused) containers are within the scope of this invention 1 Wakefield Thermal Solutions, “An Introduction to Heatsinks and Cooling,” Vol. 1.01, 2004 2 S. Lee, “How To Select a Heat Sink,” Aavid Thermal Technologies
  • the small size of the LED light sources is also a key element of the present invention.
  • the inventors recognized that, due to their very low profile, LED light sources could easily fit within the base or top of a typical metal beverage container as shown in FIG. 1 , allowing the container to form the luminaire.
  • These LED light sources can be mounted to the container (# 1 in FIG. 1 ) in the form of an LED Light Engine, which typically consists of one or more LED devices mounted to a printed circuit board having the proper thermal characteristics to transfer the thermal energy away from the LEDs. This approach is shown in # 2 in FIG. 1 , although any means of attaching the one or more LED devices to the container is within the scope of this invention.
  • the LEDs light sources used in this invention can be made up of LED devices of any wavelength or combinations of wavelengths.
  • the LED devices can be single or multi-chip packages with multi-chip packages made up of the same or different color dies.
  • FIG. 2 One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2 .
  • the invention makes use of two thin aluminum spacers ( 3 and 4 ).
  • One spacer ( 3 ) has a number of holes ( 5 ) spaced around the axis of the spacer; the second spacer ( 4 ) has corresponding tapped holes ( 6 ) spaced around its axis.
  • a hole ( 7 in FIG. 3 ) is cut in the bottom of the metal beverage container along with a number of slots ( 8 in FIG. 3 ). This hole allows access to the interior of the container in order to route wiring as well as allow placement of the electronics ( 10 in FIG. 2 ) used to power the LEDs.
  • the bottom spacer is inserted into the container through the slots and then positioned flat against the bottom of the interior of the container.
  • the top spacer is placed on the outside surface of the bottom of the container and fastened to the bottom spacer using screws ( 9 in FIG. 2 ) as shown in the figure. As the top spacer is tightened down against the bottom spacer, the edges of the bottom of the metal beverage container are captured between the two spacers and flattened out to form good thermal contact between the top spacer and the container bottom.
  • the top spacer When tightened, the top spacer provides a smooth flat surface on the bottom or top of the container to which a LED light engine can be attached. This surface allows efficient thermal transfer of heat from the light engine to the container, where it can be conducted to the walls of the container and dissipated into the surrounding air.
  • a zip-top tab is present at the top of the container, it can be bent back into the container.
  • Any number of means can be used to seal this opening and to provide passage and strain relief for the electrical and/or support wiring through the top of the container and are within the scope of this invention.
  • the entire top of the container can be covered with a potting or sealing compound to create a watertight plug on the top of the container and to provide strain relief for the exiting wiring.
  • a plug ( 13 in FIG. 2 ) in roughly the shape of the zip top opening can be fabricated and pushed into the zip top hole to seal the unit against moisture and to provide the necessary strain relief.
  • a third approach would be to insert a spacer ( 14 in FIG.
  • the spacer is attached to the top of the container by some mechanical means (e.g. screws, rivets, etc.).
  • a small hole is drilled in the center of the top of the container, which allows the nipple to pass through.
  • This nipple allows the electrical and/or support wiring to pass through the top of the container and act as a strain relief.
  • the spacer acts to cover the hole left by removal of the zip-top tab (if present).
  • a lens cover ( 11 in FIG. 2 ) is optional.
  • the present invention envisions a clear plastic cover with a diameter, which matches the interior of the diameter of the bottom of the container. If such a lens cover is desired or necessary, any number of means of fastening of this cover to the container can be used and are within the scope of this invention.
  • the cover can be sized to press fit into the opening. Alternatively, it can be fixed in place using adhesive of some type.
  • a third means would use mechanical fasteners ( 12 in FIG. 2 ) such as screws, rivets or snaps to attach the cover to the container. Such a cover would be necessary for outdoor applications.
  • This cover can have optical features incorporated within it in order to provide desired light distribution patterns from the fixture.
  • a second embodiment of the present invention envisions cutting away the top of the container. With complete access to the interior of the container, the bottom of the container can be flattened and the LED light engine attached directly to the bottom of the container to form good thermal contact between the LED light engine and the container bottom. All wiring and required electronics can be placed in the container and then the container can be sealed by filling the interior of the container with some type of potting or other sealing material. Alternatively, a new top can be fabricated for the container and attached via some mechanical means (e.g. screws, rivets, etc.). Either the potting/sealing material or the new top embodiments would provide the proper strain relief for the electrical and/or support wiring exiting the top of the container.
  • a third embodiment of the present invention envisions using new containers prior to their final assembly at the factory (e.g. before the lids have been attached).
  • the bottom of the container With complete access to the interior of the container, the bottom of the container can be flattened and the LED light engine attached directly to the bottom of the container to form good thermal contact between the LED light engine and the container bottom. All wiring and required electronics can be placed in the container and then the container can be sealed by attaching the top using the same final assembly step used with all new containers.
  • a spacer as previously shown in FIG. 2 , item 11
  • a small nipple could be attached to the top of the container by some mechanical means (e.g. screws, rivets, etc.).
  • a small hole is drilled in the center of the top of the container, which allows the nipple to pass through.
  • This nipple allows the electrical and/or support wiring to pass through the top of the container and act as a strain relief. Numerous other means of providing strain relief for the electrical/support wiring are possible and are within the scope of this invention.
  • a fourth embodiment of the present invention incorporates a metal insert ( 15 ) with a raised center platform as shown in FIG. 4 .
  • This component is inserted through the top of the container, which has been removed.
  • a spacer ( 16 ) with a large center hole fits around the raised platform of the insert and is attached to the insert using screws, rivets or other mechanical means. The spacer and insert when tightened, form a good thermal contact with the container bottom.
  • the LED light engine can be attached to the spacer/insert.
  • a further embodiment of the present invention attaches the beverage container luminaire via supporting wires to a fixture to form a pendant lighting fixture as shown in FIG. 5 .
  • a further embodiment of the present invention attaches a quantity of two or more beverage container luminaires together to form an area lighting fixture as shown in FIG. 6 .
  • a further embodiment of the present invention attaches a support to the beverage container luminaire to attach it to a base to form a desk lamp fixture as shown in FIG. 7 .
  • a further embodiment of the present invention attaches the beverage container luminaire to a wood or metal plate to form a wall sconce fixture as shown in FIG. 8 .

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a luminaire employing at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) device as the light source and a metal beverage container as the luminaire housing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61091418 filed on Aug. 24, 2008, which is herein incorporated by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a lighting fixture, and more particularly to an LED-based lighting fixture.
Over the past several years, the use of high power LEDs in lighting fixtures has increased significantly as device performance increases to a level where general illumination applications become practical. More and more applications such as task lighting and area lighting can be achieved using LEDs as the light source. Their high energy efficiency and small size make LEDs ideal candidates for such lighting fixtures. Traditional lighting luminaires often do not provide for the thermal management required by LED devices. In addition, the fixtures are much larger than necessary due to the historic size of more traditional light sources. Such fixtures do not take advantage of the small size of LED devices.
Luminaires are typically fabricated from new raw metals, typically aluminum, steel or brass. Each new fixture requires additional natural resources to produce the metals, even if, as in the case of aluminum, the metal is recycled. During the course of a year, this results in tons of raw material that must be produced, with the corresponding output of greenhouse gases which is a byproduct of the energy generated to produce the metal stock. The energy requirement for producing new lighting fixtures is a major disadvantage of the present approach. Cost to produce these fixtures is a second disadvantage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a means of producing energy efficient lighting by combining the performance characteristics of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) with the thermal dissipation properties of recycled metal beverage containers. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a means of producing energy efficient lighting by combining the performance characteristics of LEDs combined with the thermal dissipation properties of non-recycled metal beverage containers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings.
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limited of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
The LEDs are shown in FIG. 1 mounted to a suitable printed circuit board which, in turn, is mounted to the underside of the beverage container. The printed circuit board must be capable of conducting the heat generated by the LEDs to the beverage container. One common way of achieving this effect is by the use of what are known as Metal Core Printed Circuit Boards or Metal Clad printed Circuit Boards (MCPCBs).
FIG. 2 shows the elements, which make up one preferred embodiment of the invention.
The top and bottom plates between which the bottom of the metal beverage container are flattened is shown in FIG. 3. Also shown is a hole used in one preferred embodiment to allow the bottom of the metal beverage container to be flattened between the two plates, thus assuring adequate thermal contact between these plates and the beverage container.
In another preferred embodiment, the top of the metal beverage container is removed and replaced with a cap. This embodiment is shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 5 shows one configuration of the invention with the unit hung in the form of a pendent light.
FIG. 6 shows a second configuration of the invention with six of the units assembled in the form of an area light.
FIG. 7 shows a third configuration of the invention with the unit attached to a base in the form of a desk lamp.
FIG. 8 shows a fourth configuration of the invention with the unit attached to a plate in the form of a wall sconce.
The above configurations of the invention are examples of how the invention could be used to form various lighting fixtures and are not to be considered limiting the scope of such fixtures. Any lighting fixture is to be considered as a potential configuration for this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention involves the use of metal beverage containers to produce luminaires suitable for use with LED light sources. One key element recognized by the inventors was the fact that the thermal conductivity of such containers was suitable to provide a mechanism for removal of the heat generated by the LED light sources. Use of containers such as beer, soft drink or juice cans are examples of the types of containers envisioned by this invention, although any metal beverage container with thermal properties similar to aluminum, steel or copper would be within the scope of this invention. The containers should be of such size that their resulting surface area is sufficient to allow proper thermal management of the LEDs used with the containers. Many heat sink manufacturers provide guidance as to calculating the required surface area. 1,2 Both new and recycled (reused) containers are within the scope of this invention 1 Wakefield Thermal Solutions, “An Introduction to Heatsinks and Cooling,” Vol. 1.01, 20042 S. Lee, “How To Select a Heat Sink,” Aavid Thermal Technologies
The small size of the LED light sources is also a key element of the present invention. The inventors recognized that, due to their very low profile, LED light sources could easily fit within the base or top of a typical metal beverage container as shown in FIG. 1, allowing the container to form the luminaire. These LED light sources can be mounted to the container (#1 in FIG. 1) in the form of an LED Light Engine, which typically consists of one or more LED devices mounted to a printed circuit board having the proper thermal characteristics to transfer the thermal energy away from the LEDs. This approach is shown in #2 in FIG. 1, although any means of attaching the one or more LED devices to the container is within the scope of this invention.
The LEDs light sources used in this invention can be made up of LED devices of any wavelength or combinations of wavelengths. Depending on the desired application, the LED devices can be single or multi-chip packages with multi-chip packages made up of the same or different color dies.
One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. The invention makes use of two thin aluminum spacers (3 and 4). One spacer (3) has a number of holes (5) spaced around the axis of the spacer; the second spacer (4) has corresponding tapped holes (6) spaced around its axis. A hole (7 in FIG. 3) is cut in the bottom of the metal beverage container along with a number of slots (8 in FIG. 3). This hole allows access to the interior of the container in order to route wiring as well as allow placement of the electronics (10 in FIG. 2) used to power the LEDs. The bottom spacer is inserted into the container through the slots and then positioned flat against the bottom of the interior of the container. The top spacer is placed on the outside surface of the bottom of the container and fastened to the bottom spacer using screws (9 in FIG. 2) as shown in the figure. As the top spacer is tightened down against the bottom spacer, the edges of the bottom of the metal beverage container are captured between the two spacers and flattened out to form good thermal contact between the top spacer and the container bottom.
When tightened, the top spacer provides a smooth flat surface on the bottom or top of the container to which a LED light engine can be attached. This surface allows efficient thermal transfer of heat from the light engine to the container, where it can be conducted to the walls of the container and dissipated into the surrounding air.
If a zip-top tab is present at the top of the container, it can be bent back into the container. Any number of means can be used to seal this opening and to provide passage and strain relief for the electrical and/or support wiring through the top of the container and are within the scope of this invention. For example, the entire top of the container can be covered with a potting or sealing compound to create a watertight plug on the top of the container and to provide strain relief for the exiting wiring. Alternatively, a plug (13 in FIG. 2) in roughly the shape of the zip top opening can be fabricated and pushed into the zip top hole to seal the unit against moisture and to provide the necessary strain relief. A third approach would be to insert a spacer (14 in FIG. 2) with a small nipple as shown through the opening at the bottom of the container. The spacer is attached to the top of the container by some mechanical means (e.g. screws, rivets, etc.). A small hole is drilled in the center of the top of the container, which allows the nipple to pass through. This nipple allows the electrical and/or support wiring to pass through the top of the container and act as a strain relief. The spacer acts to cover the hole left by removal of the zip-top tab (if present).
Since the LEDs are low voltage devices, a lens cover (11 in FIG. 2) is optional. However, the present invention envisions a clear plastic cover with a diameter, which matches the interior of the diameter of the bottom of the container. If such a lens cover is desired or necessary, any number of means of fastening of this cover to the container can be used and are within the scope of this invention. For example the cover can be sized to press fit into the opening. Alternatively, it can be fixed in place using adhesive of some type. A third means would use mechanical fasteners (12 in FIG. 2) such as screws, rivets or snaps to attach the cover to the container. Such a cover would be necessary for outdoor applications. This cover can have optical features incorporated within it in order to provide desired light distribution patterns from the fixture.
A second embodiment of the present invention envisions cutting away the top of the container. With complete access to the interior of the container, the bottom of the container can be flattened and the LED light engine attached directly to the bottom of the container to form good thermal contact between the LED light engine and the container bottom. All wiring and required electronics can be placed in the container and then the container can be sealed by filling the interior of the container with some type of potting or other sealing material. Alternatively, a new top can be fabricated for the container and attached via some mechanical means (e.g. screws, rivets, etc.). Either the potting/sealing material or the new top embodiments would provide the proper strain relief for the electrical and/or support wiring exiting the top of the container.
A third embodiment of the present invention envisions using new containers prior to their final assembly at the factory (e.g. before the lids have been attached). With complete access to the interior of the container, the bottom of the container can be flattened and the LED light engine attached directly to the bottom of the container to form good thermal contact between the LED light engine and the container bottom. All wiring and required electronics can be placed in the container and then the container can be sealed by attaching the top using the same final assembly step used with all new containers. With access to the container lid, a spacer (as previously shown in FIG. 2, item 11) with a small nipple could be attached to the top of the container by some mechanical means (e.g. screws, rivets, etc.). A small hole is drilled in the center of the top of the container, which allows the nipple to pass through. This nipple allows the electrical and/or support wiring to pass through the top of the container and act as a strain relief. Numerous other means of providing strain relief for the electrical/support wiring are possible and are within the scope of this invention.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention incorporates a metal insert (15) with a raised center platform as shown in FIG. 4. This component is inserted through the top of the container, which has been removed. A spacer (16) with a large center hole fits around the raised platform of the insert and is attached to the insert using screws, rivets or other mechanical means. The spacer and insert when tightened, form a good thermal contact with the container bottom. The LED light engine can be attached to the spacer/insert.
A further embodiment of the present invention attaches the beverage container luminaire via supporting wires to a fixture to form a pendant lighting fixture as shown in FIG. 5.
A further embodiment of the present invention attaches a quantity of two or more beverage container luminaires together to form an area lighting fixture as shown in FIG. 6.
A further embodiment of the present invention attaches a support to the beverage container luminaire to attach it to a base to form a desk lamp fixture as shown in FIG. 7.
A further embodiment of the present invention attaches the beverage container luminaire to a wood or metal plate to form a wall sconce fixture as shown in FIG. 8.

Claims (6)

1. A luminaire comprising: at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) device, a metal beverage container to which the at least one LED can be fastened, an electronic driver circuit for supplying proper voltage and current to the at least one LED, at least one thermally conductive plate to provide a suitable surface for the at least one LED to be fastened to the metal beverage container in which at least one opening is cut in the surface of the beverage container to allow the surface of the metal beverage container to be flattened in order to provide a better thermal path from the at least one thermally conductive plate to the outside of the metal beverage container.
2. The luminaire of claim 1 where the at least one opening allows access to the interior of the container in order to route wiring and to locate the drive electronics within the metal beverage container if desired.
3. The luminaire of claim 1 where a second thermally conductive plate is placed inside the metal beverage container and attached via mechanical means to the first thermally conductive plate on the outside of the metal beverage container, capturing a portion of the metal beverage container between the two plates and forming a thermal path from the first plate to the metal beverage container.
4. A luminaire comprising: at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) device, a metal beverage container to which the at least one LED can be fastened, a means for supplying proper voltage and current to the at least one LED, a means for providing a suitable surface for the at least one LED to be fastened to the metal beverage container where that means consists of at least one opening cut in the surface of the beverage container to allow the surface of the metal beverage container to be flattened in order to provide a better thermal path from the at least one thermally conductive plate to the outside of the metal beverage container.
5. The luminaire of claim 4 where the means for providing a suitable surface for the at least one LED to be fastened to the metal beverage container consists of a second thermally conductive plate placed inside the metal beverage container and attached via mechanical means to the first thermally conductive plate on the outside of the metal beverage container, capturing a portion of the metal beverage container between the two plates and forming a thermal path from the first plate to the metal beverage container.
6. A method of providing a luminaire comprising: providing at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) device, providing a metal beverage container to which the at least one LED can be fastened, providing an electronic driver circuit for supplying proper voltage and current to the at least one LED, providing at least one thermally conductive plate to provide a suitable surface for the at least one LED to be fastened to the metal beverage container, providing at least one opening cut in the surface of the beverage container to allow the surface of the metal beverage container to be flattened in order to provide a better thermal path from the at least one thermally conductive plate to the outside of the metal beverage container.
US12/583,490 2008-08-24 2009-08-21 LED luminaire made with recycled materials Expired - Fee Related US8182107B2 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US12/583,490 US8182107B2 (en) 2008-08-24 2009-08-21 LED luminaire made with recycled materials

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US9141808P 2008-08-24 2008-08-24
US12/583,490 US8182107B2 (en) 2008-08-24 2009-08-21 LED luminaire made with recycled materials

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20100046208A1 US20100046208A1 (en) 2010-02-25
US8182107B2 true US8182107B2 (en) 2012-05-22

Family

ID=41696209

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US12/583,490 Expired - Fee Related US8182107B2 (en) 2008-08-24 2009-08-21 LED luminaire made with recycled materials

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) US8182107B2 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10352550B1 (en) * 2009-07-29 2019-07-16 Deepsea Power & Light Llc Submersible LED light fixture with multilayer stack for pressure transfer
CN102011956A (en) * 2010-08-24 2011-04-13 厦门汇耕电子工业有限公司 LED(light emitting diode) lamp utilizing recycling metal beverage can as radiating substrate
ITTO20120422A1 (en) * 2012-05-10 2012-08-09 Smurfit Kappa Italia S P A PROCEDURE FOR PRODUCING A LAMP USING CONTAINERS FOR BOTTLE-HOLDERS AND LAMPS MADE THROUGH THIS PROCEDURE.

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6254247B1 (en) * 1999-01-14 2001-07-03 Redgate Industries, Inc. Illuminable containers and method
US20070201220A1 (en) * 2006-02-24 2007-08-30 Adroit Ventures, Llc Illuminated container
US20090046456A1 (en) * 2005-12-22 2009-02-19 Matsushita Electric Works., Ltd. Lighting Apparatus With Leds
US7914165B2 (en) * 2007-09-25 2011-03-29 Life+Gear, Inc. Beverage bottle with accessories

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6254247B1 (en) * 1999-01-14 2001-07-03 Redgate Industries, Inc. Illuminable containers and method
US20090046456A1 (en) * 2005-12-22 2009-02-19 Matsushita Electric Works., Ltd. Lighting Apparatus With Leds
US20070201220A1 (en) * 2006-02-24 2007-08-30 Adroit Ventures, Llc Illuminated container
US7914165B2 (en) * 2007-09-25 2011-03-29 Life+Gear, Inc. Beverage bottle with accessories

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20100046208A1 (en) 2010-02-25

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US7236366B2 (en) High brightness LED apparatus with an integrated heat sink
US7588355B1 (en) LED lamp assembly
US8421321B2 (en) LED light bulb
US7758214B2 (en) LED lamp
US7918580B2 (en) LED illumination device
US9228724B2 (en) Modular LED lamp structure with replaceable modules
US7988321B2 (en) LED lamp
US7695162B2 (en) LED lamp having a plurality of heat sinks
US7967469B2 (en) LED lamp
US20090323331A1 (en) Illumination device
US7699498B2 (en) LED lamp
US20100149818A1 (en) Integrated led heat sink
US20090213592A1 (en) Led lamp with heat sink assembly
JP4807631B2 (en) lighting equipment
US20080197374A1 (en) High-power light-emitting diode
US9157627B2 (en) Modular LED lamp structure with replaceable modules and rapid maintenance
US8342706B2 (en) LED lamp
JP2008311237A (en) Lighting fixture
US20070096134A1 (en) Light emitting diode fixture and heat sink
JP2006172893A (en) Lighting fixture
US8182107B2 (en) LED luminaire made with recycled materials
US20090237891A1 (en) Heat sink equipped driving circuit module assembly for led lamp
JP5946008B2 (en) lighting equipment
RU2644109C2 (en) Lighting device and lamp
US20110069500A1 (en) Heat Dissipation Module For Bulb Type LED Lamp

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: LED TRANSFORMATIONS, LLC, NEW JERSEY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CURRAN, JOHN W;KEENEY, SHAWN P;REEL/FRAME:028024/0659

Effective date: 20090821

REMI Maintenance fee reminder mailed
LAPS Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
STCH Information on status: patent discontinuation

Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362

FP Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee

Effective date: 20160522